​ July 12, 2012. Been a while since I posted. Not much changes from week to week. We go to work on Friday - Jim during the day and I go in from 4-10 helping Sue check in guests and handling other purchases. Jim has been helping with the tubing on Saturday and by Sunday and Monday cleaning out the fire pits and picking up garbage. We went to Crex Meadows one day - a 20 mile drive to get to the Visitor Center and then another 24 mile drive through the Meadows.

Yesterday we went to Lake 26for the afternoon. That trip was real nice - Lake 26 is pretty big but the beach is quite small. We were the only ones there for a while and the dogs had a great time in the water and running around. Lucy actually learned to swim and she would swim out to Jim and jump into his arms like a little kid trying to get out of the water. Then she would swim to me and try to climb into my arms - scratching us up in the meantime. The water was quite shallow and warm - we were able to kneel out there and enjoy the water. Another couple showed up with their two little kids so we got out of the water so they could enjoy the beach and water without us and the dogs with them. They did not stay real long - they had already been up and traveling that morning -even to Duluth and back to Danbury so Dad was tired. When they left we got back in the water.

July 30, 2012. Woke up about 1:30 a.m. with the dogs carrying on and barking. I was sound asleep but Jim heard something outside and goes to investigate. Seems the dogs scared a bear which ran up the tree which is right next to our Excursion. Of course Jim had to come in and wake me up, so I grab my camera and run outside to take pictures of it. Tried to get a picture of it posted here, but the web host is not working - it wants to put the picture at the bottom of the page.

August 25, 2012. Have not posted for a while now but the days just seem to blend into the other. Still have not gone up the North Shore for a visit but will probably do that trip in September when the leaves start to change. We are still working four days - Friday through Monday - with three days off. Never got a chance to go tubing but hopefully we will be able to do that in Texas when we are down there.

Right now our co-workampers Terry & Evelyn are leaving next week right after Labor Day and doing some sightseeing before their next job at Amazon.com. They helped us get a job with Amazon.com and we are starting with them on November 12 and working through December 23, hopefully working the evening shift. We also have a position lined up for next year at Tremont RV Resort in Townsend, Tennessee. Friends & Family get a 25% discount on camping and cabins while we are working there so I hope we get some visits. We decided to stay in the east for a while and be closer to our parents. After we leave here we will stop in Indiana and then to Maple Heights to visit my Dad, then to Frankfort, Ky and Bardstown, Ky to finish the Bourbon Trail; then to our position in Cambpellsville, Ky.

After we leave Campbellsville we will go to Tremont to drop off some stuff; head to Atlanta for a week, then on to Friendswood to visit with Josh & Karen for the month of January. After we leave Texas we will spend a couple weeks on the panhandle of Florida, go to the TCT Rally near the end of February, then head north to start our new position in March 2013. We are going to be staying there until October and I guess will decide at that time if we want to work at Amazon again.

We have gone shooting a few times on the property across the street from the campground that the owner owns. Shooting my new Yildiz and Jim shoots his over/under. Lots of fun and still learning how to shoot. Always takes practice.

August 29, 2012. Yesturday started out as most of our days off do - lazy morning walking the dogs, making blueberry pancakes for breakfast and looking at the computer. Discovered that chipmunks have been putting acorns in the back of the Excursion in the body housing that covers the gas tank. Lucy smelled them and chased some out of there but the last one she chased out and into the brush she pounced on and ended up impaling herself with a 1/2" diameter stick in her leg about 4" deep. Nasty. Happened just as we were getting into the truck to go to Walmart and do grocery shopping. Hayley freaked out and was nipping at Lucy because she was scared and hurt. I was hugging Lucy on the ground to keep her from getting up. Jim put Hayley in the trailer and went and got Terry & Evelyn and Terry helped me get Lucy into the truck. We left and they called the closest vet in Webster to tell them what was going on. The vet was out of the office for the week and they directed us to Tammi's Wildlife Rescue in Frederic, Wisconsin, another 20 minute drive from Webster. When we got there the doctor was just finishing up another surgery and they came out to the truck, gave Lucy a sedative to calm her down and then took her into the clinic straight into the operating room. One of the best parts was that our whole bill was only $118, including the drugs. They are a non-profit agency and that is why their prices are so low. They take donations to help supplement their fees. They did an excellent job and we picked her up four hours later and brought her home. She was very happy to be back in her own environment and smells. She slept all night with me and in the morning peed and pooped without any problem, and then had breakfast.

She is doing better today; still draining and not very active. Walks are only on the leash and we keep her pretty quiet during the day and night. My longer walks are now with Hayley and she does not seem to be very interested in them without having Lucy to run along with her. Hayley seems to be more interested in staying in the campsite looking for the chipmunks. Terry has been by to see Lucy and give her treats, which she loves.

This morning we had another interview with a resort in Port Aransas, Texas. It is contingent on our job at Amazon and the guy there does not seem to think there will be any problem, but we wonder otherwise. I have put freezes on all of our credit bureaus because of credit fraud.